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Former Kansas reporter accepts $235K settlement in lawsuit over police raid of local newspaper

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2 years ago

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Former Kansas reporter accepts 5K settlement in lawsuit over police raid of local newspaper


A former reporter for a Kansas newspaper has accepted $235,000 to settle part of her federal lawsuit over a police raid on the local newspaper that made national headlines for concerns about press freedom violations.

Former Marion County Record reporter Deb Gruver reached the settlement on June 25 following her lawsuit against former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody, who is accused of reinjuring Gruver’s previously injured hand when he allegedly grabbed her personal phone during an Aug. 11, 2023, raid on the newspaper.

The settlement removed Cody from the lawsuit, but the Marion County sheriff and the county’s prosecutor – who were also sued by Gruver over the raid – were not covered by the settlement, according to The Associated Press.

Gruver’s lawsuit is one of five federal suits filed over the raid against the city, county and eight current or former elected officials or law enforcement officers.

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KANSAS POLICE RAID NEWSPAPER’S OFFICE, PUBLISHER’S HOME TO SEIZE RECORDS; REPORTER INJURED

A former reporter for the Marion County Record in Kansas has accepted $235,000 to settle part of her federal lawsuit after she was injured during a police raid on the newspaper. (AP)

Cody led the raid on the newspaper’s office, the home of publisher Eric Meyer and the home of a then-city council member after a source contacted the newspaper and the then-city council member with information about a restaurant owner who was trying to obtain a liquor license.

The source said Kari Newell had been convicted of drunk driving and was driving without a valid driver’s license, and that law enforcement was allegedly ignoring Newell’s repeated violations.

Meyer decided not to publish the story and instead told Cody and Marion County Sheriff Jeff Soyez about the information offered by the source. Law enforcement then launched an investigation and obtained a search warrant for evidence of identity theft and criminal use of a computer and alerted Newell.

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Computers, cellphones and reporting materials were then seized over alleged violations related to identity theft and unlawful acts concerning computers after a search warrant was signed by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar. Law enforcement was also given authorization to search for devices used to access the Kansas Department of Revenue’s records website, as well as documents and records pertaining to Newell.

KANSAS REPORTER SUES TOWN, LOCAL OFFICIALS OVER POLICE RAID OF NEWSPAPER OFFICE

The federal Privacy Protection Act prohibits law enforcement from most searches of journalists and newsrooms and usually requires police to issue subpoenas rather than search warrants. The police department said at the time that the law does not apply to instances when journalists are suspected of criminal wrongdoing.

At the time, Cody said he had evidence that the newspaper, reporter Phyllis Zorn and the then-city council member had committed identity theft or other computer crimes through obtaining information about Newell. The three denied doing anything illegal and charges were never filed.

Zorn is seeking $950,000 in damages in her federal lawsuit for being deprived of press and speech freedoms and the protection from unreasonable police searches guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

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The lawsuit by former Marion County Record reporter Deb Gruver is one of five federal lawsuits filed over the raid of the newspaper. (AP Photo/John Hanna)

During the search of the newspaper office and Meyer’s home, officers removed two computers and an Alexa smart speaker used by Meyer’s 98-year-old mother and newspaper co-owner. She collapsed and died in her home the day after the raid despite otherwise being in good health for her age, her son said at the time.

Meyer and the newspaper filed a federal lawsuit alleging the raid caused his mother’s death. The lawsuit also suggested the raid was carried out in response to an investigation into Cody’s background.

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Cody seized Gruber’s personal phone and had her desk searched. While she was not involved in obtaining the driving record, she was investigating Cody’s past.

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The raid led to national outrage over press freedom concerns. Cody resigned as police chief less than two months after the raid.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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Kansas

Former Kansas high school wrestling coach charged with producing child pornography

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10 hours ago

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March 5, 2026

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Former Kansas high school wrestling coach charged with producing child pornography


WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A former Kansas wrestling coach was charged with creating child sexual abuse materials by secretly recording minors showering during an athletic competition.

According to court documents, 37-year-old Ryan Brungardt of Salina is charged with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography.

Brungardt is a former employee at Lakewood Middle School and former wrestling coach for Salina Central High School.

Brungardt is accused of using a cellphone to record three minors while they showered in a locker room during the Tournament of Champions, a wrestling tournament was held at Newton High in January 2024.

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Brungardt made his initial court appearance for the criminal complaint on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brooks G. Severson.

A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday

Investigators are in the process of reviewing additional seized cellphone videos in this case that are suspected to have been recorded at wrestling meets in Newton, Hays, Garden City and Salina during the 2023-2024 wrestling season.

Anyone who believes they witnessed crimes or any suspicious activity at these events is asked to contact the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (785) 600-8790 or report at www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.

Copyright 2026 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com

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RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

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22 hours ago

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March 5, 2026

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RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins


TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Wednesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

6A Boys West Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

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  • Topeka High 57, Washburn Rural 50 (will play Maize Saturday)
  • Junction City 70, Dodge City 56 (will play Derby Saturday)
  • Manhattan 58, Wichita-Northwest 56 (will play Wichita-East Saturday)

4A Boys East Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Rock Creek 62, Louisberg 57 (will play Bishop Miege Saturday)
  • Atchison 74, Wamego 43
  • Hayden 72, Independence 56 (will play Atchison Saturday)
  • Eudora 76, Santa Fe Trail 68

GIRLS

5A West Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Hays 80, Topeka West 18
  • Eisenhower 55, Seaman 41
  • Kapaun Mt. Carmel 71, Emporia 41

5A East Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Shawnee Heights 89, Sumner 15 (will play Pittsburg Saturday)
  • Basehor-Linwood 74, Highland Park 28 (will play Piper Saturday)

3A Pomona-West Franklin Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Osage City 75, Columbus 31 (will play Frontenac Saturday)

3A Sabetha Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Silver Lake 48, Nemaha Central 26 (will play Riley County Saturday)
  • Riley County 51, Jeff West 40 (will play Silver Lake)

Copyright 2026 WIBW. All rights reserved.



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RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

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2 days ago

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March 4, 2026

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RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins


TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Tuesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

5A East Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

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  • KC Washington 68, Highland Park 38
  • Shawnee Heights 49, De Soto 37 (will play Leavenworth Friday)

5A West Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Topeka West 55, Hutchinson 32 (will play Bishop Carroll Friday)
  • Emporia 61, Great Bend 41 (will play Maize South Friday)
  • Seaman 73, Valley Center 51 (will play Hays Friday)

3A West Franklin Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Burlington 60, Osage City 35 (will play Baxter Springs Friday)

3A Sabetha Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Hiawatha 73, Oskaloosa 48 (will play Heritage Christian Friday)
  • Silver Lake 58, Sabetha 39 (will play Perry-Lecompton Friday 7:30 p.m.)

GIRLS

6A West Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Washburn Rural 60, Wichita South 32 (will play Derby)
  • Topeka High 69, Maize 45 (will play Liberal)
  • Manhattan 67, Free State 21 (will play Wichita East)

4A East Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Rock Creek 71, Parsons 23 (will play Tonganoxie)
  • Wamego 54, Labette County 33 (will play Bishop Miege)
  • Hayden 2, Athison 0 (will play Baldwin)

2A Eskridge/Mission Valley Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Rossville 71, KC Christian 49 (will play Maur Hill-Mount Academy)
  • Lyndon 61, Jeff. Co. North 31 (will play Valley Heights)
  • Valley Heights 65, Doniphan West 41 (will play Lyndon)

Copyright 2026 WIBW. All rights reserved.



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